World Hand Hygiene Day 2025

Why hand hygiene still matters

Every year, millions of patients and healthcare workers are affected by healthcare-associated infections — many of them preventable.

Hand hygiene and environmental cleaning in healthcare settings are among the most effective and low-cost interventions to improve patient safety, prevent infections, and help contain antimicrobial resistance.

In the Region of the Americas, there is still much progress to be made in improving hand hygiene and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions in healthcare facilities.

What about gloves?

Gloves are essential in certain clinical procedures—but they never replace hand hygiene. Cleaning your hands before and after using gloves protects both patients and healthcare workers. When performed at the right time and in the right way, hand hygiene saves lives.

Excessive or unnecessary glove use also contributes to environmental harm. During the COVID-19 pandemic, gloves accounted for tons of daily waste. That’s why this year’s campaign also highlights the environmental impact of glove overuse—and calls for conscious, evidence-based practices.

We call on health workers and decision-makers to reflect not only on safety but also sustainability. Thoughtful use of personal protective equipment, including gloves, goes hand in hand with effective infection prevention and control (IPC).

2025 Key Goals:

• Promote proper hand hygiene technique according to WHO’s 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene
• Raise awareness of when glove use is truly necessary in healthcare
• Encourage hand hygiene integration in national IPC strategies  
• Highlight the environmental impact of unnecessary glove use and waste generation